Cheshire Wildlife Trust

What Cheshire Wildlife Trust does

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a registered UK conservation charity (Charity Number 214927, founded 1962) that protects, restores, and creates wildlife habitats across Cheshire, Halton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington and Wirral. It manages more than 30 nature reserves spanning peatlands, grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, and coastal dunes, and operates flagship landscape programmes including the Delamere Mossland Project (110 hectares restored, 2013–2017), the South West Peak Slow the Flow natural flood management scheme, and the Wirral wetland restoration. The trust is also a designated partner in the 529-hectare Risley, Holcroft and Chat Moss National Nature Reserve and participates in the Cheshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy approved in January 2026.

The trust's products and services centre on landscape-scale habitat management, species recovery programmes (curlew, white-faced darter, water vole, grayling butterfly), ecological consultancy for landowners and developers, environmental education (Forest School, school visits), and community engagement through sub-brands such as Rewilding Stockport and Wild Stockport. Revenue is generated through five streams: £45/year individual memberships (~17,600 members), donations and appeals (including the active £250,000 Fox Hill Appeal for a 58-acre Peak District site), charitable trust and government grants (Heritage Lottery Fund, Biffa Award, NEIRF, Environment Agency, Natural England), ecological consulting services, and an online shop with nature reserve square sponsorships. The trust is part of the 46-Wildlife-Trust movement under The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and is engaged in a pioneering Habitat Banking Investment Model with three other Wildlife Trusts and Finance Earth, developing biodiversity credits for the developer market.

Core technology is undisclosed; digital offerings are limited to interactive Wildlife Explorer and Habitat Explorer content tools and a wildlife webcam platform. No AI/ML capability is evidenced. The trust is led by CEO Charlotte Harris and governed by its own Board of Trustees, with strategic affiliations to corporate patrons (Iceland/Richard Walker), the Greener UK coalition, and the Tidal Dee Catchment Partnership.

Name

Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Legal name

Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Website

https://cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a UK conservation charity managing 30+ nature reserves across Cheshire, Halton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington and Wirral, delivering habitat restoration, species recovery, ecological consultancy, and education, funded by 17,600 individual members, donations, grants, and a pioneering habitat banking biodiversity credit partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC), Biodiversity, Conservation & Natural Capital Funds (FSANAJAG)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation charity
• Nature reserve management
• Habitat restoration services
• Ecological consultancy
• Environmental education programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Malpas

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual supporters. The trust has 17,600 members paying recurring annual subscriptions.
2. Donations and appeals: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including specific fundraising appeals such as the Fox Hill land purchase appeal targeting £250,000.
3. Charitable trusts and government grants: Funding from charitable foundations (e.g., Biffa Award, Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Green Challenge Recovery Fund, Environment Agency natural flood management programme) and statutory bodies (e.g., Environment Agency, Natural England) for conservation projects.
4. Ecological consulting services: The trust's ecological consultancy delivers services for landowners, developers, and public bodies, generating professional services revenue. The trust also offers seed harvesting services for private landowners.
5. Shop and nature reserve sponsorship: Sale of wildlife-related products through the online shop and sponsorship of 3m x 3m squares at Greenbooth Nature Reserve at £45 per square. Deliveries to UK, Northern Ireland, and Channel Islands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a non-profit conservation charity that manages and influences more than 30 nature reserves across Cheshire, Halton, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington and Wirral through habitat protection, peatland rewetting, species recovery and natural flood management. It generates revenue from individual memberships (£45/year), donations and appeals (including the £250,000 Fox Hill land purchase appeal), charitable trust and statutory grants, an online shop, nature reserve square sponsorships, ecological consultancy for landowners and developers, and corporate patronage.

Product overview

Cheshire Wildlife Trust operates as a grassroots conservation movement offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on wildlife protection and nature recovery. The core offerings include management of nature reserves across the region, membership programs with 17,600 supporters, and an online shop. Additional services encompass nature reserve sponsorship schemes (Sponsor a Wild Patch), environmental education programs (Forest School, school visits), Local Wildlife Sites designation services, and various campaign initiatives including the Wilder Future campaign and Fight for the River Mersey campaign. The Trust also runs specialized projects like Rewilding Stockport and accepts donations through appeals such as the Fox Hill Appeal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rewilding Stockport: A two-year project delivered by Cheshire Wildlife Trust to create a thousand spaces for nature across Stockport, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
• Wild Stockport

Products and services

• Nature Reserves Management
• Individual Membership
• Online Shop
• Nature Reserve Square Sponsorship (Sponsor a Wild Patch)

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 new Local Wildlife Sites designated in a single survey season, surpassing a target of 10.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and secondary.

• The Royal Society of Wildlife TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Cheshire Wildlife Trust is one of 46 local Wildlife Trusts that make up The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. The Royal Society provides national-level policy, campaigning, and strategic coordination, while member trusts deliver conservation on the ground. The Royal Society wrote to the Secretary of State opposing the Adlington New Town development on behalf of all member trusts, demonstrating the integrated national-regional relationship.
• Tidal Dee Catchment PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted by Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Tidal Dee Catchment Partnership coordinates work on the Dee Estuary across the Environment Agency, Natural England, Dee Estuary Conservation Group, RSPB, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Wirral Council, Flintshire Council, Welsh Dee Trust, Natural Resources Wales, and Cheshire Wildlife Trust itself. The partnership organised a multi-day guided walk along the Dee Estuary to gather community views on the estuary's future.
• Greener UK coalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreener UK is a coalition of 13 major environmental organisations with a combined membership of 7.9 million, including WWF, National Trust, RSPB, and The Wildlife Trusts. The coalition launched a manifesto calling on the UK government to restore and enhance the environment post-Brexit, secure existing environmental protections, and introduce new policies for nature recovery. Cheshire Wildlife Trust engages MPs across the region to sign the Greener UK Pledge for the Environment.
• South West Peak Landscape Partnership SchemeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerA five-year Heritage Lottery Fund and Environment Agency-funded landscape partnership scheme in the Peak District National Park. Cheshire Wildlife Trust leads the Slow the Flow Project, a natural flood management initiative involving restoring wetlands, floodplains, and riverbank woodlands to rebuild rivers' natural flood defences, reduce downstream flooding, and improve water quality and biodiversity.
• Delamere Mossland Project (Forestry Commission)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBetween 2013 and 2017, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the Forestry Commission co-delivered the Delamere Mossland Project, restoring 110 hectares of mossland habitat and beginning reintroduction of the white-faced darter dragonfly. The project also involved WREN's FCC Biodiversity Action Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Natural England, the British Dragonfly Society, and Cheshire West and Chester Council. The project won a CIEEM Best Practice Award.
• The Wildlife Trusts' Habitat Banking Investment ModelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership of four Wildlife Trusts (Berks Bucks and Oxon, Warwickshire, Cheshire, and Surrey) with environmental impact investment advisors Finance Earth, funded by the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF). The scheme enables strategic habitat creation before biodiversity loss from developments, accelerating nature recovery and creating biodiversity credits for the development sector. Three pilot habitat bank sites are planned in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Cheshire.
• Wirral Borough Council (wetland restoration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheshire Wildlife Trust and Wirral Borough Council are partnering to restore a 24-hectare area of floodplain grazing marsh on the Wirral peninsula near Meols and Hoylake. The project, funded by the Environment Agency's natural flood management programme and scheduled for summer 2026, will reconnect a canalised section of the River Birket with its floodplain through a network of shallow scrapes, benefiting wetland birds and providing natural flood management.
• Chester Zoo (sea holly conservation)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerChester Zoo partnered with Cheshire Wildlife Trust on the sea holly planting project at Red Rocks Nature Reserve, germinating over 200 sea holly plants at their plant nursery. The sea holly provides a critical food source for the grayling butterfly, which has seen a 70% national decline. The partnership demonstrates a zoo-based conservation breeding and support model.
• South West Peak Curlew Recovery Project partnershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheshire Wildlife Trust leads a partnership with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, and the Peak District National Park Authority on the South West Peak Curlew Recovery Project. The initiative aims to prevent the local extinction of the curlew — a Red-Listed species — by mobilising landowners, surveyors, and local communities across Cheshire and Staffordshire into a curlew community taking coordinated conservation action.
• Greater Manchester Environmental Fund / Lancashire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wild Stockport project is funded by the Green Challenge Recovery Fund as one of twelve projects in the Greater Manchester Environmental Fund's 'Realising Greater Manchester's Environmental Ambition Project', managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust. The project aims to reconnect Stockport residents with urban wildlife through community events, workshops, school engagements, and the creation of hedgehog holes and swift boxes.
• The Land Trust (Hassall Green Nature Reserve)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Land Trust, which manages Hassall Green Nature Reserve near Alsager, is a partner in the Local Wildlife Site designation effort. Hassall Green was designated as a Local Wildlife Site for its mosaic of habitats supporting roosting bats and grass snakes.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: Major UK conservation charity managing heritage land and natural spaces. Overlaps with Cheshire on nature reserve stewardship, public access, and conservation advocacy, but at vastly larger scale and with a heritage rather than species-led focus.
• RSPB: UK's largest bird and wildlife conservation charity with a national membership of over 1 million. Overlaps with Cheshire on species recovery (e.g., curlew) and nature reserve management, but operates at far larger scale with paid membership at national level.

Regional players

• Chester Zoo: Major regional conservation zoo partnering with Cheshire on species recovery (e.g., sea holly propagation for grayling butterfly). Operates adjacent conservation and education activities but focuses on ex-situ breeding and visitor-facing operations rather than reserve management.

Direct peers

• Surrey Wildlife Trust: Regional Wildlife Trust operating identical membership, reserve, and grant-funded conservation model. Fourth member of the Habitat Banking Investment Model partnership alongside Cheshire, making it a direct structural and operational peer.
• Lancashire Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring North West Wildlife Trust with the same legal structure, member-supported funding model, and nature reserve portfolio. Manages the Greater Manchester Environmental Fund that funds Cheshire's Wild Stockport project, making it both a direct peer and a regional partner.
• North Wales Wildlife Trust: Welsh counterpart in the Dee Estuary partnership and Tidal Dee Catchment Partnership. Same legal structure, same reserve-management model, and overlapping species-conservation programmes such as curlew recovery.
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust: Adjacent regional Wildlife Trust running similar habitat management, membership, and education programmes. Co-leads the South West Peak Curlew Recovery Project with Cheshire, indicating operational overlap in landscape-scale conservation delivery.
• Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust: One of the four Wildlife Trusts piloting the Habitat Banking Investment Model alongside Cheshire. Operates under the same Wildlife Trusts framework with similar membership, reserves, and grant-funded conservation model.
• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust: Regional Wildlife Trust operating under identical governance, funding, and reserve-management models. Co-partner with Cheshire in the Wildlife Trusts' Habitat Banking Investment Model, making it a structural and operational peer.

Others

• The Wildlife Trusts (Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts): Umbrella body for all 46 UK Wildlife Trusts including Cheshire. Provides national policy, brand, and strategic coordination. Not a direct peer but the governing movement within which Cheshire operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CheshireWT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJNliP-XNq823fdSeVlFHlw?
• Facebookfacebook.com/cheshirewildlifetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cheshire-wildlife-trust-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/cheshirewildlifetrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cheshire Wildlife Trust